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US-20260123642-A1 - PLANT-BASED COFFEE CREAMER

US20260123642A1US 20260123642 A1US20260123642 A1US 20260123642A1US-20260123642-A1

Abstract

The invention provides a plant-based coffee creamer comprising a vegetable oil, a plant-based protein, a polysorbate, potassium phosphate and a gum, wherein the gum is high acyl gellan gum or a combination of xanthan gum and locust bean gum. The plant-based coffee creamer according to the present invention has a surprisingly improved texture and stability.

Inventors

  • Izabela GLADKOWSKA BALEWICZ
  • Eleni NTONE
  • Jaimy Chantal von Harras

Assignees

  • FLORA FOOD GLOBAL PRINCIPAL B.V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251031
Priority Date
20241106

Claims (18)

  1. 1 . Plant-based, non-dairy coffee creamer comprising: water 0.1 to 36 wt. % vegetable oil; 0.05 to 3 wt. % plant-based protein; 0.1 to 2.0 wt. % polysorbate; 0.05 to 1.0 wt. % potassium phosphate; and 0.01 to 0.5 wt. % gum, wherein the gum is high acyl gellan gum and/or a combination of xanthan gum and Locust Bean Gum (LBG) and wherein wt. % is calculated based on the total weight of the coffee creamer.
  2. 2 . Plant-based, non-dairy coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the gum is high acyl gellan gum.
  3. 3 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the coffee creamer does not comprise (added) mono- and diacylglycerides.
  4. 4 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the polysorbate is selected from the group consisting of polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 61, polysorbate 65, polysorbate 80, and polysorbate 85; preferably the polysorbate is polysorbate 60 or polysorbate 80.
  5. 5 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the polysorbate is polysorbate 60.
  6. 6 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the coffee creamer comprises: 0.2 to 0.8 wt. % polysorbate with wt. % calculated based on the total weight of the coffee creamer.
  7. 7 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the coffee creamer comprises 0.01 to 0.1 wt. % gum, wherein wt. % is calculated based on the total weight of the coffee creamer.
  8. 8 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the coffee creamer comprises 0.01 to 0.05 wt. % gum, wherein wt. % is calculated based on the total weight of the coffee creamer.
  9. 9 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the coffee creamer comprises high acyl gellan gum as the sole gum.
  10. 10 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein potassium phosphate is monopotassium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate or tripotassium phosphate; preferably potassium phosphate is dipotassium phosphate.
  11. 11 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the coffee creamer comprises 0.1 to 0.3 wt. % potassium phosphate, with wt. % calculated based on the total weight of the coffee creamer.
  12. 12 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the coffee creamer comprises 0.5 to 20 wt. % vegetable oil, preferably 7 to 15 wt. % vegetable oil with wt. % calculated based on the total weight of the coffee creamer.
  13. 13 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the coffee creamer comprises 0.1 to 0.7 wt. % plant-based protein with wt. % calculated on the total weight of the coffee creamer.
  14. 14 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the plant-based protein is selected from the group consisting of pea protein, fava protein, amaranth protein, chickpea protein, lima bean protein, and lentil protein; preferably the plant-based protein is lentil protein or pea protein.
  15. 15 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, soybean oil, maize oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil; preferably the vegetable oil is canola oil.
  16. 16 . Plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 , wherein the coffee creamer further comprises sugar, preferably 0.1 to 40 wt. % sugar, more preferably 1 to 25 wt. % sugar with wt. % calculated on the total weight of the coffee creamer.
  17. 17 . Method for providing a plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 1 comprising the steps of: providing an aqueous phase the protein, gum and phosphate in the aqueous phase providing an oil phase comprising polysorbate blending the oil phase and the aqueous phase to provide the coffee creamer.
  18. 18 . Method for providing a plant-based coffee creamer according to claim 17 , wherein the aqueous phase is at a temperature above 70, more preferably above 75 and most preferably above 80 degrees Celsius when the gum is added.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to EP patent application Ser. No. 24/211,053.4 filed on Nov. 6, 2024, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to liquid coffee creamers as an alternative to dairy based coffee creamer, predominantly and preferably containing non-animal ingredients and methods to produce the same. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to coffee creamers comprising potassium phosphate, polysorbate and high acyl gellan gum. Such coffee creamers can substitute dairy-based coffee creamers and provide excellent whitening, texture and mouthfeel when added to beverages such as coffee or tea. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION a. A coffee creamer, also known as a coffee whitener, is a product commonly used to enhance the flavour, texture, and creaminess of coffee and tea. They are typically added to coffee to impart a milder taste and achieve a desired consistency.b. Originally, coffee creamers were made from dairy ingredients like milk or cream. Creamers that do not contain lactose were subsequently developed. However, despite being labelled as non-dairy, many of these coffee creamers still contain dairy proteins such as casein or caseinate, which are derived from milk. For example, US2023147949 discloses a non-dairy coffee creamer comprising casein or caseinate. The presence of milk proteins enhances texture, creaminess, and stability so that some of the functional properties and sensory experiences associated with traditional dairy coffee creamers are maintained.c. In recent years, there is a growing demand for products, including coffee creamers, comprising mostly non-animal and/or on-dairy ingredients. However, creating stable coffee creamers with only non-animal ingredients presents challenges. One major challenge is obtaining a stable oil-in-water emulsion which does not separate during storage and when added in a hot, acidic application like coffee while also having the desired structure, texture, creaminess, and mouthfeel without using dairy ingredients. Vegetable oils are often added as an alternative for dairy fats and may improve the mouthfeel of plant-based coffee creamers. Texture and mouthfeel may also be improved by selection of particular plant-based proteins, such as pea protein and soybean protein. Another major challenge is the provision of a stable emulsion in absence of dairy proteins that naturally contribute to stability in traditional coffee creamers. When incorporating dairy milk or traditional coffee creamer into coffee, it usually blends smoothly, maintains stability in the solution, and imparts a whitening or creamy appearance. Existing plant-based alternatives often encounter a phenomenon known as feathering when added to beverages like coffee. Feathering, also known as splitting, is characterized by the presence of particles resulting from protein coagulation or precipitation within the beverage. In coffee creamers, feathering can manifest as small particles or clumps forming in the coffee creamer when added to hot beverages like coffee or tea. This can lead to an unpleasant visual appearance and may also affect the texture or mouthfeel of the beverage. Feathering is typically caused by factors such as instability of proteins or emulsifiers in the coffee creamer, changes in temperature, or interactions with other ingredients in the beverage. To reduce feathering in plant-based coffee creamers, emulsifiers and stabilizers are added. US20200015491, for example, discloses a plant-based coffee creamer comprising water, sunflower oil, dipotassium phosphate, pea protein and various types of gum (xanthan gum, Tragacanth and/or gellan). WO2017216194 describes a liquid coconut-based coffee creamer comprising coconut cream, sugar, dipotassium phosphate and high acyl gellan gum. Another example of a plant-based coffee creamer comprising a combination of gums is “Nut-Pod dairy-free creamer” marketed by Nutpods. It contains water, coconut cream, almonds, acacia gum, gellan gum, sea salt, dipotassium phosphate and sunflower lecithin. A disadvantage of using a combination of different gums is that they interact with each other in complex ways, potentially leading to unpredictable outcomes in terms of texture and stability. Achieving the desired balance between gums may therefore require extensive formulation optimization. Another strategy to improve solubility and dispersibility of plant-based proteins and reducing the risk of feathering, is modifying the proteins through techniques like enzymatic hydrolysis or heat treatment. However, enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins may result in a bitter taste. Achieving plant-based coffee creamers that dissolve quickly, impart excellent whitening capabilities, and maintain stability without experiencing feathering or sedimentation when incorporated into cold or hot beverages like coffee or tea, while delive